Another Day
by love2be4gotten
Summary: Prequel to Narumals. Kyuubi, leader of foxes. Itachi, leader of wolves. Pride and obsession can cloud the mind, risks are taken, and a twisted end is met. Dark themes, characters death.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Ok, so one day I was pondering on how to finish Narumals (which is now complete) and I had forgotten what it was originally going to be. The only thing I remembered was that it would involve Itachi and Kyuubi. Then I had an idea, and you can read exactly what this idea was if you read Narumals. Ok, so this story is a prequel to Narumals in some sense, but it's Itachi and Kyuubi's side of the story. You don't have to read Narumals first, but I would like if you did. But any who, Naruto and Sasuke are kit and pup in this time period, which you will see. Onwards with the story!**

**Warning: Deaths, a bit of gore, attempt at rape (don't worry, if you don't like rape, then be happy because it's only an attempt; D), cussing, slightly cruel themes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but I do own the plot.**

**This will be only time I'll post the warning and disclaimer in this story...**

**Kyuubi's POV:**

"Long ago, there was a war between foxes and wolves. As often is the case with animals, territory was what was being fought over. The war lasted for over ten years, and finally a truce was made. All this land that you see here, this is the fox territory. The land crossing into the plains that is the wolf territory." I pause, looking at each face of the kits, making sure they were paying attention.

Seeing that they were, I continued, "the pact made was no fox or wolf is to cross into the others territory, unless you were of high rank. And this pact still goes on today, but both fox and wolf alike dream of a time when that truce will no longer be needed, and all animals could live together in peace. And the ones who make that peace will be heroes, recognized by the whole forest. "

"'Kyuu?" I look at the face of the short brown fox, "yes?" "Why do other animals not have to follow these rules that wolves and foxes do?" "Because," I stop and clear my throat before speaking again, "they weren't the ones involved in the war of our ancestors. Alright, now off to bed, all of you." Protests immediately fill the air as parents begin to herd their children to their homes. "Nice work Kyuubi." I nod my thanks to the pale yellow fox, Tsunade the pack medic, before rising from the ground and shaking off the dirt from my fur.

"It was nothing. You know how much I enjoy retelling the history of the war." I growl sarcastically. The yellow fox rolled her eyes before playfully shoving me, "better hurry. You're gonna be late." I let out an exasperated sigh, "can't you go in my stead?" She lightly nipped one of my nine tails, "Kyuubi, as alpha of the pack, there are certain-" "Certain responsibilities that I must fulfill. I know, I know." I mock. "Good, then get going brat." I stuck my tongue at her, dashing away from her open jaws, angering Tsunade was hilarious. As soon as I was a good distance away, I began to slow down into a nice leisure walk.

Humor aside, being alpha was a big responsibility. Duty came before anything else, and though fun was strictly limited, I accepted it. For my pack, I would do my best to keep them alive and fed. My nose twitches as the smell of wolf is becoming stronger, and I can hear the howling of some as the moon begins to form in the sky. "You're late." I don't give the voice a response, knowing already who it is and what more they'll say. "Don't ignore me Kyuubi." I give a slight glance to the wolf walking beside me, "I'm here, am I not?"

Now he doesn't respond, and except for the small chuckle, the air is silent. We reach wolf territory, and I can see all the council wolves have gathered. These alpha meetings were always, and unfairly, held in wolf territory. The council consisted of the two former alphas of the wolf pack, which were Fugaku and Mikoto, both pure black wolfs, with the exception of silver on Mikoto's nose, the present alpha wolf, Itachi, who now moved away from side, and lastly, the former and present alphas of the fox pack.

Unfortunately, the formers were dead. Lions had been seen around the area lately, and they had killed both yellow foxes, Yondaime and Kushina, leaving behind their newly born kit. That little kit would be destined to be alpha if he grew up strong, but until then, I would act as sole alpha of the pack. I took a seat on the ground, far away enough to ensure them that I knew my place when in their territory.

In my opinion, the only reasonable wolf was Mikoto, who always gave me a smile and nod whenever I saw her. Fugaku always looked bored and disagreeable when here, and Itachi just looked emotionless, but it was him I felt most wary around. "Shall we begin?" Fugaku growled, looking ready to go back to his cave.

I ignore his attitude and nod. "First order of business, your foxes," Itachi paused glaring accusingly at me, "have been getting a little too close to wolf territory." I flatten my ears on my head, "they're just children, but they know the rules well. They won't cross. But besides that, there are more important matters to discuss."

"Oh, and what is that?" Itachi feigned ignorance. "Like the lions. The lion population is becoming out of control, they need to be driven out or maintained." I informed him, but he didn't seem to take my words to heart. "Of course, of course. And we'll get to that after we finish with the discussion of your foxes close breach of wolf territory," Itachi began again, and I could already tell that the meeting was going to be a long one.

**Itachi's POV:**

I love the way the red fox got so easily irritated. I found it amusing how he figured he could be on equal terms with superior creatures such as wolves. "Now as I was saying, your foxes have been getting too close to the wolf territory. You know what will happen Kyuubi if they cross, child or not." He nods, his lip curling to show his fang. He wasn't happy, but who cared. I was going to delay what he wanted to talk about just to irritate him further.

"Good. Now, I propose an idea for you to use in order to keep your foxes in line." Kyuubi rolls his eyes, "and that would be?" I know that no matter what I say, he won't follow it, but I throw it out there regardless. "You patrol the borderline, and ensure they keep to their side. Easy, no?" He doesn't speak, but instead is glaring at me.

I open my mouth to continue, but a tiny voice disrupts me. "Mommy!" I turn unamused as my younger brother ran to our mother. "Sasuke, you're disturbing a very sanctual meeting." Father growls, but mother waves him away. "Don't be so hard on him, he's just a pup. He probably saw a scary shadow, right honey?" Sasuke nods, pressing himself into her fur. "Plus, Kyuubi doesn't mind, right?"

I glance at Kyuubi who is laughing, shaking his head, "of course not. Children need attention." Sasuke looks up from mother's fur, and spotting Kyuubi, his tail begins to wag slightly. "Kyu!" He removes himself from mother and rushes to the red fox, practically launching himself at him. "Hey there, how have you been?" I watch with mild frustration, I had forgotten that children absolutely loved Kyuubi. They loved him so much, it made me sick.

"We have a meeting to continue, Sasuke leave." I growl, and father agrees. Sasuke pouts, but smiles when Kyuubi pushes him along. "Go back to your cave Sasuke, and hurry up and grow into an alpha yourself." He leans in close to Sasuke, whispering, "become an even better alpha than your jerky brother." I hear, despite the low audio of the insult, but I figure Kyuubi purposely did it by the smirk on his muzzle. Sasuke dashes back to the cave, giggling the whole way.

Kyuubi clears his throat, "well, back to the meeting. I would like to bring up the lion problem." Mother, enthusiastic about how well Kyuubi handled Sasuke, agrees heartedly. "Fine." I growl, wanting to retire myself. "What did you have in mind?" Father sighs, looking as bored as ever. "I'd like to bring up the option of chasing them out of the lands, but in a way that will not bring violence." I glare at him, "are you suggesting we handle them peacefully?"

When he nods, I chuckle, "you want us to rid the land of fierce, carnivores, without fighting? You'll be dead. The only option is to fight, obviously." He shakes his head, "if we fight, we'll be easily overpowered! There's no way we can take them down!" I snort, "well you foxes won't be able to. But us wolves have much more strength than needed. We can deal with it, so don't worry." He's about to protest again, but I stop him, "meeting adjourned. Go home."

Kyuubi is growling, tails flaring in anger, but I know he won't start a fight on wolf territory. "You'll be sorry if you do that, I'm warning you!" He shouts, but I ignore him, rising and going back to my cave. As if a fox would know how to deal with such matters. This was obviously a job for a wolf.

**Kyuubi's POV:**

I watch angrily as Itachi walks away, ignoring me. "Bastard," I mutter before bidding Fugaku and Mikoto goodbye, turning to go back home. If the wolves seriously engaged in battle with the lions, they would be sure to lose. Getting rid of them was going to take more than strength, but also brains.

Well, if he wouldn't take my advice, then he would suffer the consequences. I just hoped that he wouldn't drag others down with him.

I trot back into fox territory, treading quietly so I don't disturb the others. "How'd it go?" I turn to Tsunade, surprised she was still awake. "Fine, I suppose. But Itachi's still as much of a bastard as he's always been." She chuckles, "don't let him bother you." I suppose I shouldn't have let him erk me so much, but damn it was hard to ignore him!

"How's Naruto?" I ask, trying to change the subject. "He's in my cave," she says, a low sad tone in her voice. I nod, and follow her as she led me into the fox nurturing cave, also known as Tsunade's cave. We enter silently, and I immediately spot the small yellow bundle of fur curled up on the ground.

He looks up as we near him, and his eyes are glassy. Tsunade nudges me closer to him, before turning and leaving us alone in the cave. Settling next to him, I say "hey Naruto. How are you feeling today?" The little fox cub is silent, and my heart wrenches at the unfair fate that has been bestowed upon him.

He was so young, and already his parents had been snatched away. "Kyuubi," Naruto whimpers, and I immediately become alert. "What is it?" "Where are mommy and daddy?" I swallow hard, not really sure how to answer him. It had been almost month, but still no one had been able to break the news to Naruto that his parents were dead.

"Are they going to come back soon?" He whimpered, and tears were forming in his eyes. I slowly shake my head. "No. They're not." His face looks as if he had already suspected their death, but that didn't help to ease his, or my, pain. We stay in silence, both unsure of what to say to the other. Sighing, I get up. "I'm going to bed Naruto, if you need anything; you know where to find me." I make my way to the cave opening, when his small voice stops me.

"Kyuubi?" I turn back to him, "yes?" He looks to the ground for a moment before his eyes meet mine once more, "you won't leave me, will you?" I smile, "I won't. I'll be here for Naruto, I promise." He returns the smile, the first in a long time. I wait until he curls up once more, closing his eyes, before taking my leave.

**~Time Skip~**

The forest is in a mess today. I can feel the tension of all the other animals, and it's the fault of those lions. This wasn't their natural habitat, but somehow they were led here. Maybe there was a lack of food where they had come from. They were currently residing in the deserted part of the forest, but each day, they were getting closer and closer to all of us.

It made me nervous to think that they'd soon be here and hurt all my friends and family, and even though I was against it, I would fight those lions to protect them. "Kyuubi," I look at the small fox, looking anxiously around his surroundings. "What's wrong?" "They're outside the bordering lines of the forest, and they've already launched attacks against some of the smaller animals.

I was afraid of that. Unfortunately, the lions had breached the forest faster than expected. What was I going to do? "Gather the others, and hide deep in the forest, I'll see what I can do to get rid of them." He nods, running off to do his task, but he hesitated, "the wolves told me to tell you that they'd take care of it. But Kyuubi, it's really bad," he turns back to me, and I see that he's been injured.

"Were you attacked?" I rush to his side, inspecting the wound that's around his left front paw. Nodding fast, he rushes away from me, avoiding my gaze. What the hell was happening out there? I begin my own dash towards the bordering lines, and the thought of others getting hurt or even dying is making my stomach do flips. The smell of blood hits my nose, and the further I go, the thicker it is in the air.

The air is quiet though. Where were the others? I stop to a slow, careful trot, not trusting the silence. The soft rustling of leaves blowing in the wind is the only sound, and it's unsettling. A low growling makes my ears prick up, and I don't recognize it, but it could still be someone I knew. Following the sound, I push through the brush and spot the maker of the sound.

The sight makes my stomach do flips, the blood makes my head hurt, and the lion that lays on the ground is glaring at me. His fur is dyed red from the open wound on his neck, and there was no doubt that he was dying. My fur is rising, and backing away from the crippled lion, I turn to leave. "Didn't I tell you to leave this to the wolves?" It was a question, but a command, and only one wolf could be so snobby. I glare at Itachi, who had appeared from nowhere, sitting calmly next to the now motionless lion.

"I'm only trying to get my friends and family out of here, not to fight." I growl, continuing out of the area. I hear the padding of his paws as he follows me, and I become more annoyed. "As alpha of your pack, you should be ensuring the safety of your wolves." I warn him, not happy that he was so calm during all this chaos.

"Don't bother worrying about my pack. Unlike your foxes, they can hold their own against the lions." I spun around angrily to tell him off, but he was gone. "Snobby bastard." I scoffed, listening for any indication of life around me.

I traveled deeper into the forest, but everywhere I went, there was silence. No birds. No scuttling of feet on the ground. Even the wind had stopped blowing. Something wasn't right. It didn't feel safe here, but I couldn't explain what was causing it. There was a strange, unfamiliar scent filling the air, but that didn't mean it was a lion. I didn't know all the scents of the forest by heart, so it could have just as well been a raccoon or squirrel.

"Kyuubi!" I swerved around, bracing myself for an attack, when I saw a small black pup dashing towards me. He planted himself against me, shaking like a leaf. Sasuke? Why was he out here? I stepped slightly away from him, when something caught my eye. A lion! "Sasuke, don't move," I muttered lowly. Sensing my anxiety, he followed my gaze and froze. The lion was injured on his hind leg, but that didn't stop him from stalking closer, a low growl emitting from his throat. _'Fuck.' _Was the last thing on my mind before I planted myself over him, shielding him from the lion's hungry jaws.

Flaring my tails, I flattened my ears against my head and let out my own menacing growl, warning him to keep away. He observed my small size, and deciding he could take me, even in his condition, he launched himself at me. "Run." I uttered, tossing Sasuke aside before dodging the lion's claws. I hoped Sasuke was taking my advice about getting out of here.

The lion landed on the ground for a second before he attacked again, but I was ready. When he was inches from me, I twisted around him and latched my teeth above his right eye, my claws digging into him to keep my grip. He let out a roar, and was bucking to get me off, but I only dug more and bit deeper to ensure that he wouldn't throw me off.

He was really angry now. Slamming himself into trees, dashing and tossing wildly, doing everything in his power to get rid of me. Pain shot up through my body each time it connected with a tree or the ground. If it wasn't for his mane, I could have gone for the throat and ended this already. I tasted the metallic blood from the wound from where I was biting, and it was making me uneasy. I disliked blood; it made me a bit queasy.

His leg must have been hurting, since he was suddenly limping slightly. If I could decommission that leg, then I would have a chance to at least escape. The lion was beginning to slow down, tired from his mad struggling. Seeing my chance, I quickly removed my teeth, and reattached them to his injured leg.

Letting out a pained roar, he threw himself on the ground, kicking and trying to get me. I wasted no time, biting down harder and harder until I felt something snap. Jumping away, the lion scrambled to get up, but he slipped when he tried to put pressure on that leg. That did it, now I had to get out of here and ensure that Sasuke, and anyone else still out here, was safe.

I gave the lion one last look before deciding to leave him for whatever animal wanted him. I practically limped as I ran through the forest, trying to find Sasuke, when a familiar scent hit my nose. No, two familiar scents. I sped up until I got into the clearing and relief filled me when I spotted Sasuke. "Kyuu!" The little pup dashed towards me, making me flinch slightly when he crashed into me, making my minor wounds flare pain.

"Thank God you're alright, you didn't run into anymore lions did you?" I breathed out, just glad that he was in one piece. He shook his head, "no, but I ran into Itachi." I look up slightly, seeing that Itachi was watching with mild amusement in his eyes. "If you'd have let the wolves take care of this, you would not have gotten hurt." The wolf alpha spoke, disapproval in his voice, but there was a hint of laughter in there.

**Itachi's POV:**

"If I hadn't been out here, your little brother might have gotten killed," he growled. "He would have been fine. He's a wolf, not a weak fox." I said uncaring. He was glaring hard at me, and it was quite amusing to me. "Come on Sasuke, I'll take you home." He muttered finally. Sasuke hesitates for a moment, before following him. "I chuckle lightly at his behavior, but he's too angry to pay me any mind.

I watch the two of them go, liking that I had won this round in our game of cat and mouse, or rather, fox and wolf. Of course it did matter to me if Sasuke was killed or injured; he was after all my successor if something had happened to me. He was next in line to be the alpha of the pack, especially since I didn't plan on having any pups of my own.

The females of the wolf pack didn't spike my interest, and I didn't plan on having a mate and children getting in my way. I had a life of freedom to live, and that's how I wanted it to stay. So Sasuke's survival was vital to the pack, because if something happened to him and me, then the next in line would be Kakashi, and he definitely wouldn't be the best leader. He was more interested in that dolphin, Iruka. So I suppose I was somewhat grateful to the fox, not that I would admit it.

There's silence around me, and that isn't always such a good thing. I listen for an indication of a lion near me, but if there is, it's keeping a low profile. The smell of blood is in the air, and it's an exciting type of smell. The thought of beast against beast, wounding one another, going for the kill, aiming to be victorious, it was a beautiful thing.

These lions were definitely messing with the wrong wolf. If they were aiming for a fight, then they got it. I was more than eager to comply. My own blood was pumping through my veins and I was itching for a fight, be it lion or not. Maybe I should have fought Kyuubi. It would have put him in his place, and maybe then he wouldn't be so damn arrogant. But now wasn't the time to be thinking of that pathetic fox, I wanted an opponent worth my strength, and a lion would be an excellent match.

They were skulking through the trees, waiting for a chance to strike their victim, but that wasn't going to be me. I could smell the dirty stench of a lion now, and I would personally take it out. I would show that fox who was superior, and then maybe he'd show me some damn respect. "Come on out lion, I know you're-" My words got stuck in my throat at the sight before my eyes.

Fugaku and Mikoto, my _father _and _mother_ lay at the feet, dead, of a dirty lion. The lion sustained minimal injuries, but I would change that. I was going to make him for laying a paw on my family. A snarl ripped out from my mouth, and could feel my fur rising in angry. The lion was watching, probably thinking it could take me on its own. But oh how wrong he was. I waited for him to make the first move, which he quickly did, launching himself at me. I easily sidestepped the attack and latched my teeth into his underbelly.

I viciously tore at his sensitive, vulnerable stomach, ignoring his roars of pain. I would make him pay. Make him pay with his life. I was going to kill this lion, watch him bleed every last drop, make him _suffer._ The lion never had a chance, and it was a fool to think it did. He tried to roll over me, tried to crush me, make me stop, but I wouldn't stop until he breathed his last breath.

Moments later, the lion stopped his struggling, and instead laid on the ground, his eyes becoming glassy, proof of his death. His blood was all over me, but that was fine by me. I still was angry, and I needed something to get this anger out of my system. I would kill the next thing that crossed my path, lion or not.

**Itachi is pretty fierce... I'd keep clear of him...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Kyuubi's POV:**

"Kyuubi, why don't you like Itachi?" I almost tripped from the sudden question, and when I regain my balance, he's sitting in front of me, waiting for an answer. "Sasuke, it's not as if I hate your brother. We just don't agree on some things. It's very normal for two different species of animals to fight and not get along." I begin walking again, and I hear him follow after a brief moment. There's silence in the air, and it fills me with more relief.

No sounds meant that nobody was hurt. Or that they were dead, but I wasn't going to count on that being the case. "Kyu?" "Yes Sasuke?" I answer, not slowing my pace. "What would this forest be like if wolf and fox had no bounds?" "I don't know. We all say it would be a wonderful thing, but none of us would really know." "What do you mean?"

I think for a second, unsure of how to explain it to the young cub. "Those bounds were made because fox and wolf couldn't get along. We fought over food and land, even killed each other. It didn't matter if you were a child or adult. Those were dark times." He doesn't speak for a moment. "What do you think would happen if those bounds were to disappear?"

"Like I said, none of us really know. But I _believe _and _hope_ that we could work things out. That we could become happy again." He nodded fast, "I think so too. I wanna be able to play with other animals." "There aren't any other wolf cubs?" He shook his head, "no."

I hadn't known that. On the occasions that I had visited the wolf territory, I hardly paid attention to the other wolves, and they did the same. Just because the war was over didn't mean the hatred was. There were some wolves who didn't mind us foxes, but there were others, like Itachi, who felt too superior.

It couldn't be helped, I suppose. I just hoped that Sasuke wouldn't grow up with such hatred around him. "Kyuu, I'm scared..." I heard the young pup whimper. I stopped and looked at him, "what's wrong? There aren't any lions this far into the forest, and look, your territory is near." He shook his head wildly, "I feel as if something bad is about to happen."

I couldn't blame him. I was feeling the same thing, and it made me uncomfortable, but I wasn't about to tell him that. "Don't worry Sasuke, we'll take you home and everything will be fine." His territory came into view, and I was never happier to see wolves. "See, Sasuke, everyone is alright."

His eyes still held concern, "I don't see a lot of wolves here." I could see that he was correct. There were still some missing wolves. I didn't see Itachi here, but I already knew where he was out. Mikoto and Fugaku were gone as well. "Kyu, are mom and dad ok?"

"Of course they are," I reassure him. He doesn't look convinced, "can you go find them?" He's looking at me with such pleading eyes, that I cannot refuse. "Alright, I'll go search for your parents. Go find Kakashi and stay with him, ok?" I say, and he eagerly nods before dashing to find Kakashi. Kakashi was another wolf in the pack, with a rank of guardian/ patroller of the territory, and babysitter in Sasuke's case.

Sighing, I make my way back into the forest. I really didn't want to run around in this dangerous place, but I promised Sasuke. My ears prick for any noises, but the forest is still deathly silent. It's more nerve-racking than calming, and I feel my heart beating fast. I pull my tails closer to my body, wrapping them around me in some sort of makeshift shield for whatever was to come. It was beginning to get darker, and sun had already set. I desperately wanted out of here, but I sucked up my cowardness and continued through the trees.

A familiar scent hit my nose, but I couldn't pinpoint its location. Was it near? Or just being carried here by the wind? I sniffed the air once more, and once I was sure that it was close, I followed the scent deeper and deeper into the forest. A low growl made me freeze. It sounded really angry, and it was behind me. I stayed still in hopes that whatever it was hadn't seen or smelled me, but luck was definitely not on my side.

The beast threw itself onto me, and it took all of my strength to wriggle out of its claws and teeth. I swerved around and came face to face not with a lion, but Itachi. He must have realized it was me, because his snarl died in his throat and instead an annoyed look came onto his face. "Why are you back here? Didn't I tell you to leave it to the wolves?"

I glare at him, "don't worry about me getting in your way. I'm only here to find Mikoto and Fugaku for Sasuke." He turns away from me, ears flattening on the back of his head. "Don't bother." He begins trotting away, but stops, "the dead are impossible to find" My eyes widen, and my mind begins to race. His words couldn't mean... No, they weren't dead... They couldn't be! "You're lying. They're not-" "Dead? Why else would I say it if it weren't true?" He drawled and anger rose in me.

I dashed in front of him. "How can you say that so calmly? They were your _parents!_" He's studying me carefully before answering, "true. But to live is to die. Death is inevitable, so why make a big deal out of it? There's nothing you, or I, or anyone else could have done. So drop it."

**Itachi's POV:**

Idiotic fox. Death was part of the circle of life, why show emotion? Completely pointless. "Now if you'd excuse me. I have to break the news to the others of my pack." I growl, shoving the fox out of my way. "You're a heartless bastard!" I whirled back around, stalking close to his face, leaving a bit of space between, "and so what if I am?" Even though I had anger rolling off me, he wasn't the least bit intimidated.

"How can someone so uncaring like you be a leader? You won't even show emotion for your own parents, so what makes you the type of leader that'll risk his life for his pack?" He closed the gap between us, butting himself into my personal space. A low growling was emitting from both of our throats, and I had to restrain myself from ripping his throat out. The territory pact that the foxes and wolves made was too vital to just throw away. I had to maintain it until it was no longer beneficial to the wolves.

"The type of leader I am is none of your concern, so why don't you just skip on back to that safe little fox territory of yours?" I scoffed at him, detaching myself from in front of him. Oh how I wanted to stop those damn defiant eyes of his from burning into the back of my head. How I wanted to make him humiliated, to stop being so damn irritable, and how bad I wanted to just _break_ him!

I don't give him another look, and instead make my way back to the territory. He's grumbling something under his breath, but I don't pay it any mind.

I follow the worn scent back to my territory, and immediately I am faced with thousands of questions from the wolves. Mostly about the status of the lions, but there are some about Fugaku and Mikoto. "Call Kakashi." Is the only thing I tell them, and they can only obey.

A few minutes pass before Kakashi emerges from one of the caves, Sasuke in tow. "Itachi, you wished to speak to me?" I nod, "Sasuke, leave us." He's about to protest, but I give him a glare and he complies reluctantly. "Come with me." I tell Kakashi, walking away from the territory. We walk in silence before I decide that we're far enough from the territory.

"Fugaku and Mikoto are dead." I say bluntly, no need to put it gently. His mismatched eyes widen a fraction for a moment, before he sighs. "I see. Does anyone else know?" I shake my head, "no one but Kyuubi and I, and now you." He nods, "what will you tell the others? Sasuke will take this really hard..." He adds as an afterthought. "The truth of course, but this isn't completely why I told you to come with me way out here."

He waits for me to continue, and when I do, he doesn't seem happy. "I'm going back out there. I'll rid our forest from these wolves, and I'll do it on my own." "You can't do that, it's suicide!" He growls, but I don't listen to him. "Look, you can't stop me from doing this. And while I'm gone, break the news to the others. If I don't return, you'll assume alpha of the wolf pack until Sasuke is of age. Understood?"

He agrees after a moment of moping. I can see how much he disagrees, but he won't argue with me knowing it's futile. "Good. I'll be going now." I say, turning away and going back into the forest before he can say anything else.

**Kyuubi's POV:**

"So how's he doing?" I asked, "I'm not too sure. He's been quiet, and I'm really worried about it." I nodded. "I'll go to him." I had gotten back from the forest only to find that Naruto wasn't eating. He was upset, I knew that much, but what I could do to make him feel better, I didn't know.

I entered the cave quietly, checking if the young kit was asleep. He was. I turned to leave, but I must have been too loud. "Kyu?" I turn back to see tiny blue eyes looking up at me. "Hey Naru, just came to check up on you. Tsunade said you weren't eating. He shook his head, "no. I can't..." I immediately became concerned, "why not? Does your stomach hurt?" He shook his head again, "no. I'm just... scared."

I sat down next to him, "scared of what?" He looked up at me with tears in his eyes, "of the lions. I can hear them; they're coming closer and closer every day. What if they kill us like they did mom and dad?"

He was crying now, and I could only wrap myself around him in order to comfort him. "No they won't Naruto, I promise. I'll kill them, right now if we want me to." He shook his head wildly, "no, they'll kill you Kyuubi!"

I removed myself from him, "not if I kill them first, I swear to it. No one can kill the mighty Kyuubi!" I received a small laugh from him at my words. "You'll be careful?" I nod, "of course. I'll return, I promise." His tail was wagging slightly, "ok. Thank you Kyuubi." I smile at him and leave the cave.

Maybe if I got rid of the lions, then he would eat again. "How did it go?" Tsunade asked as soon as I approached her again. "I was given a mission." She looks amused, "and what would that be?" "To kill the lions once and for all." Her amusement disappears, and a look of worry and distress takes over. "What are you talking about? Are you insane? You will not go out and face those lions again; you were already injured from the last fight."

"I have to Tsunade. Not just for Naruto, not just for the forest, but for Sasuke as well." "What do you mean?" "Sasuke's parents were killed today by the lions." Horror overcomes her, and she seems too shocked to speak for a moment. "And how's he now?" "I don't know if Itachi told him yet, but he must be devastated."

"And Itachi?" I scoffed, "I don't think he cares." I move away from her, "I'll do what I have to get rid of the lions, even if it costs me my life. Tsunade, I appoint you alpha if I don't return." I dash away before she can stop me.

**Itachi's POV:**

Never have I seen a more amusing sight. Emerging from the brush right after killing a lion, I spot two animals in combat. But that's not what amused me. What had caught my interest was the fiery fox that seemed to be able to hold his own against a lion that was twice his size.

The two hadn't noticed me, but that was alright. I'd enjoy the fight for as long as I could. The smell of blood was in the air, but I couldn't tell if it was from the lion or Kyuubi since they were both covered with it. My stomach churned with what I could only guess was excitement as the fox finished off the lion, ripping out his throat despite the mane being in the way.

He spotted me now, but his eyes only glanced at me for a moment before he turned away, ignoring me. I decided this was a good time to bother him, so I followed him. "That was quite impressive; maybe you aren't so useless after all." "Fuck off Itachi." He growled, not stopping to look or speak to me. In fact, his pace seemed to speed up.

I easily kept up; I couldn't let this angry fox think he won. "Why are you out here _again?_ Hm? This isn't a game, you know." He doesn't speak, but his ears are pricked straight up. I decide to humor him and stayed silent. If he got in another fight with a lion, I would be more than happy to watch.

His fur was raised, but it flattened against his body once more and he continued to move. "Are you not going to answer me?" I say, and I could tell he was getting irritated now. "Get the fuck away from me!" He swerved toward me, and his eyes were practically glowing yellow in anger. "And miss the chance to watch you fight? Now why would I do that?"

His claws and fangs were itching to dig into me, I knew, but I also knew he wouldn't. The contract wouldn't allow it. "You foxes have a lot of nerve, but no pride. So why not tell me what you're up to and maybe I'll help you." I say smugly, loving to get a rise out of him. It seemed he wasn't going to comply though, since he turned away and began walking again.

Oh well, I guess I'd just have to follow him while I completed my own mission. A growl tore from the forest, and both of us froze in our tracks. It was a lion, and Kyuubi knew it too. His tails had stopped moving, and his ears were listening for the enemy. I did the same, but that lion must have been quite the predator because there were no sounds pinpointing his location.

A sound of wood breaking caused us both to turn to look at the cause of the noise, and we saw a large lion emerging. This lion was the biggest I had seen yet, and he would be hard to take down. "So you're the damn nuisances that keep killing off my pack," he growled. So he was the pack leader. He was definitely pissed, but it was also hilarious that he was trying to be intimidating. Kyuubi must have found this humorous as well by the smirk that was tugging on his lips.

I watched as he sat up and on his hunches, cocking his head to the side, "and what if we are? This isn't your territory, so by order of this forest, all unwanted intruders must be exterminated." His voice was cocky, but his eyes held bloodlust. He was serious when it came to destroying this lion, and the lion could tell too. "You think that gives you the right to kill off my family and friends?" The lion rumbled, getting into attack position.

Kyuubi chuckled emotionlessly, "I should be asking you that question asshole." The lion launched himself at Kyuubi, but the fox's anger must have been fueling his reflexes. He moved out of the way and counterattacked the lion, grabbing onto his flanks. I figured I'd stay out of this fight and jump in only when necessary.

**Kyuubi's POV:**

I wouldn't be able to take down this lion on my own, but I was too angry to comprehend the odds. How dare this asshole of a lion think he and his pack were the victims! They had killed more of us then we them! I wasn't going to let this lion down easy.

His howls of pain shot out into air as I ripped open his side, having torn his flank to ribbons. He threw himself onto the ground, and pain shot through me as I was crushed by his weight. I twisted out from under him with great effort, and once I was in a safe distance, the lion rose to his feet. There was angry in his eyes as well, but I wasn't going to lose to him!

He launched himself once more at me, and I flinched when he latched onto my side. As I tried to pull myself loose, he only held on tighter and pain was throbbing throughout my body. My eyes unconsciously looked at Itachi, who was watching with amusement. Bastard, I didn't need his help to take down this lion, I could do it all on my own!

I bit into the lion's throat, the closest thing I could reach, and tore at it, ignoring the fur coming off on me. As I tightened my grip, the lion loosened his. He was panicking, I could tell by the way his heart was pounding, and that was just how I liked it. I kept placing pressure onto his throat, and blood had already begun to fill my mouth.

Just one last, good bite and it'd be over. My teeth dug into him slowly, but just before I finished him off he pleaded for me to stop. "Alright, alright! You win! I'll leave, me and my pack!" That was nice and all, but could I trust him? Itachi must have thought the same because he chose to speak up, "and how will we know you'll leave?"

"I swear to it, now please let me go!" "And you or your ancestors will never come back?" "I can't promise that-Ah! Ok, ok! I promise, no lion will set foot here again!" He squeaked as I tightened my jaws once more. I didn't know whether or not to release him, so I looked to Itachi, who was silently staring at the lion. Finally he nodded to me and I let go, jumping away from him.

"Scram kitty," I growled, licking his blood from my lips. He nodded quickly, and retreated, tail tucked between his legs. "Not bad fox." Itachi said, stopping next to me, "but a wolf could have done it better." I narrowed my eyes at him, but was too tired to complain. "Whatever. I'm going back home."

**Kyuubi is a bad ass, yes I know. Haha, that's why Itachi will become attracted to him later. ;D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Itachi's POV:**

The fox was, as much as I hated to admit it, a really good fighter. Much better than a lot of my wolves. And there was a strange stirring in me since I had seen that fight between Kyuubi and the lion leader days ago. Things had become normal around here once the lions had disappeared and the proper howling for the dead had been initiated. Of course, Sasuke was greatly upset.

He wouldn't come out of the cave, but he would be fine. I figured he'd need a couple of days, or weeks, to get over it. Until then, I'd give him some space and allow Kakashi to take care of him. Speaking of Kakashi, I hadn't seen him in a while. He was most likely still bothering that dolphin of his, and it was quite annoying that he'd leave animals of his own species for a _dolphin._ Actually it was disturbing.

How that relationship would work out, I didn't know. Relationships, what a worthless thing. To live and mate with someone who you'd have to treat as your equal. How pathetic. As an alpha, my mate would have to be someone I could completely dominate over. I didn't believe in equality when it came to being the top wolf, and that was especially true when it came to Kyuubi.

I growled, irritated. Why had the fox come into my mind again? That unsuperior fox was a great nuisance to me. He talked back, he defied me, he figured he was just as good as I was, and I wanted to make him submit to me! I was shaking in anger unconsciously, and once I realized it, I tried to calm myself down. Uchiha wolves did not lose their cool so easily. It was going to take more than a fox to shake me.

That was why I was going to own that damn fox! I had to make him afraid of me, but how? I didn't have anything to force him here. "Itachi, we have a problem." I turned to the wolf breaking me out of my thoughts in annoyance, but when I saw what he was holding in his mouth, I smirked. Bingo.

**Kyuubi's POV:**

My whole body was hurting, and as I laid next to the sleeping form of Naruto, I wondered how Sasuke was holding up. He must have been completely devastated since the death of his parents. He was like Naruto now. Sasuke had his brother, Itachi, and Naruto had me. I sighed, and felt my mouth becoming dry.

I hadn't eaten or drunk much since the fight since I was so exhausted, but right now what I definitely needed was water. Rising carefully to not wake up Naruto, I exited the cave. The moon was out, but strangely, there weren't any howls of wolves tonight. I wondered what was wrong.

Slightly worried, I made my way through the territory and to the lake close to the border. Maybe tomorrow I'd go see Sasuke to see how he was doing. I drank water greedily, my dry throat aching. "You know, water is the last thing you should be worried about." I didn't stop drinking, ignoring Itachi.

I heard him sit across from me, and once I finished drinking he rose once more. "Follow me." His voice was strange, almost mocking, but serious at the same time. I was curious, so I walked behind him at a safe distance, wary if an ambush was close by. We passed his territory, continuing on until we reached the clearing.

He stopped in the middle and turned to face me. "As an alpha, you know the rule of the border, don't you?" I nod, "of course, but what does that have to do with bringing me out here?" Ignoring me, he continued, "and you know the consequence, correct?" "Yes but-" "Repeat the rule and consequence please." He interrupted. What was he getting at? Sighing, I spoke, "no one but wolves and foxes of high status are to cross the border under no circumstances. Punishment will be death for the violator."

"Good. Now tell me, do you think your foxes have done a good job to keep this rule in mind?" I frowned, "of course. I've done as you have asked, and patrolled the border myself." There was a smirk on his lip, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. "Really? Then what is this?" As if on cue, Kakashi stepped out from the trees, holding a struggling form in his mouth.

As Kakashi dropped the form onto the ground, it ran immediately to me, apologizing. My eyes widened, recognizing it as one of my small kits. "Kyu, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cross the border, it was an accident!" He was sobbing uncontrollably, and I didn't know what to say. I couldn't allow for him to die, but it was the one and only rule of the border, never to be broken. "So you know what happens now, don't you Kyuubi?" I look up startled, not knowing when Itachi had come up next to me.

"Would you like me to kill him, or you would you want the honor?" His smirk was dark and full of amusement. The young kit was pressing himself close to me, still hysterical. "Then I will do it," he said reaching for the kit, but I covered him with my body, wrapping my tails around me. "No." I snarled defensively, "you will not kill him!" He looked as if he expected this, "but it is our law. If you break it, war will be held once more between our packs. You realize that don't you?"

Of course I realized that, it's what I had feared every day since I had become alpha! "There's of course, another option." He said quietly into my ear so only I could hear. I looked up at him curious, but also cautiously, "and that is?" He moved away from me before sitting a few feet closer to his territory. "Send him home and we'll talk about a proposition I have come up with." His eyes were blood red, different from his deep pools of black abyss, and it made me slightly nervous.

I got off the shaking kit, "go home to Tsunade. Tell her what happened, and make sure she stays there." He nods before dashing away from the clearing. Once he was gone, Itachi nodded to Kakashi, who nodded back and headed back to his territory. "What's your proposition?" I asked quietly. He settled on the ground, indicating I do the same. I slowly complied, not really sure what he was planning.

"The proposition is this. You'll take that child's place." I wasn't too surprising; I guess I should have known. "So I die instead of the kit? Fine." He shook his head, "unfortunately it isn't that easy." I stared hard at him, "what do you mean?" His smirk was back, "you'll be taking that fox's place, not in death, but presence." I still didn't understand. "You'll be my mate." He said, clarifying his meaning.

Mate? I didn't have chance to question him as he continued, "and following up with you being my mate, I'll break the border law. It will be gone, so that this will never happen again. If you refuse, war will be inevitable." I definitely was at a loss for words. "So, do you agree?" I felt as if my head was spinning, be this bastard's mate? He would end up killing me if I didn't live up to his standards, which I already knew were high.

But... I couldn't let that kit die... I couldn't. And the border would disappear! This was what many wolves and foxes had been dreaming of, and now it was within reach. The pros outweighed the cons, so I guess I had to say, "Ok. I'll do it." An irritated look came onto my face, "but that doesn't mean I will behave for you bastard." He chuckled, "we'll see."

**Itachi's POV:**

Nothing felt better than a plan working. After the fox had agreed and the arrangements had been made, I told him what was next. "As of now, you'll no longer be alpha for your foxes. In fact, you'll not be permitted to leave the wolf territory unless I allow it. Understood?" He had been reluctant to agree, but eventually he did.

I wondered what was going through his mind; I hoped it was inner turmoil. "How will I tell the others who'll lead them if I'm not allowed to see them anymore?" He was trying to stump me, but I was already a step ahead of him. "That's what Kakashi has gone to do. Don't worry; he'll explain to all of them what has become of you."

His fur had risen, but he wouldn't do anything. "So you expect me, a fox, to stay purely with wolves? Do you realize how unnatural that is?" I shrugged, "not my problem. You'll adapt easily, so quit complaining." His eyes were filled with hatred, but that only excited me more. I would do all I could to break this fox's spirit.

**~Time Skip~**

Four days had passed, and the fox refused to leave the corner of the cave. If he wasn't my current center of interest, I would have forgotten he was even there. The only irritating thing was that Sasuke was stuck to him like glue. Kyuubi was playing mother hen for him, soothing the pup's unhappiness. Which was the only reason I had allowed it, but it was beginning to get on my nerves.

"You seem bothered." I ignored Kakashi, glaring particularly nothing. He sighed, "well, if you need me, you know where I'll be." He was seeing that damn dolphin of his again, what was so interesting about a dolphin? An idea struck me, "Kakashi, take Sasuke with you." He seemed to pout a little, "really? Do I have to?" I growled warningly at him, and he immediately ran to get Sasuke.

After a few moments, the two wolves reemerged from the cave. "Well, we're off." Kakashi grumbled. "Bye Itachi!" Sasuke seemed happier, no doubt thanks to Kyuubi. I nodded to them both, making Sasuke frown, before turning away from them and going into the cave.

Kyuubi was boredly lying in his corner on his back, messing with one of his tails. "Do you plan to do that every day for the rest of your life?" I chided, and he barely glanced at me. "Yup." I wasn't amused by this answer, "I didn't bring you here so that you could mope all day, every day." He flipped onto his stomach, "then what did you bring me here for, huh?"

He was getting annoyed, but I didn't respond to his question. "Get out of the cave and walk around a little. I'm tired of seeing you lay there gathering dust." "No." He retorted, going back to his tails. "You seem to forget your position, Kyuubi. You no longer have the title of alpha, but I do." "And you seem to forget that I said I would refuse to behave for you, and that means listening to you."

Breaking his spirit was going to take more than I thought. "Out. Now." He didn't glance or answer me, and was cleaning his fur instead. I grabbed one of his tails in my teeth, pulling him from the wall. He responded immediately, a snarl resounding from his throat as he swung a clawed paw at me. I let go of his tail, dodging his attack. "Don't fucking touch my tails." He's voice had turned into a deadly low tone.

So he was protective of his tails, typical fox behavior. "I'll do whatever I please. Now get your ass up." He was standing now, his tails flaring angrily behind him, ears flattened against his head, and a somewhat fierce grimace on his lips. He wasn't responding, but the look of despise in his eyes said it all. "Do you really want to fight? You and I both know you won't be able to win."

He didn't move out of fighting position. Fine, if he wanted to fight, then I would be happy to. I got into my own fighting stance, growling back with just as much vigor. Circling each other, eyeing the other warily, I moved first, aiming for is throat. I managed to nick his side as he moved out of the way and bit into my shoulder. Shaking him off, I bit into the back of his neck.

A pained gasp let out from his mouth, but didn't slow down. Contorting his body, he twisted himself around and sunk his teeth into my shoulder again. We stood there, neither letting go of the other, only digging in deeper after each passing moment. Pain was throbbing in my shoulder, but I would not be the first to let go, I was sure of that. I could see in his eyes that he was thinking the same thing. Fuck, this wasn't getting us anywhere. I tugged him fiercely off my shoulder, the action causing him to tear off some of my flesh in the process.

Ignoring the pain, I pinned his struggling body onto the ground. After holding him down for what seemed like hours, he finally stopped flailing. "Fine, you win. Now let go!" I released him and watched as he slunk out of the cave, probably to go sulk and lick his wounds.

**Kyuubi's POV:**

Fucking bastard. Why couldn't he just let me stay in the cave in peace? I didn't want to be out and with the other wolves who would only stare at me knowingly. It was a disgrace to fucking be here! I licked my paw, and tried to clean off the drying blood from my neck. He bit me really hard, and it stung when the wind hit it. I hoped his shoulder was hurting just as bad, it would serve him right.

"Well, well. If it isn't Itachi's _bitch._" My head shot up immediately at the insult, and two grey wolves sat in front of me leering. "What the fuck did you call me?" I growled. "Itachi's bitch. Isn't that what you are?" One of them chuckled mockingly. "Say that one more _fucking _time. I dare you." I didn't care that I had just gotten out of a fight three seconds ago; I would tear these wolves to shreds if they wanted to fight.

"Now, now. Don't get your little pretty tails in a bunch. We wouldn't want our leader's little female to break a claw." The other chuckled. Moving before any of them could blink; I latched onto one of the wolves' necks, tossing him to the side and against the side of a tree. A yelp of pain came out of his throat, and before the other wolf could react, I did the same to him. Both wolves looked at me angrily, and they both tried to rush me, but I was too slippery for them. I dodged one of their jaws, causing him to bite his friend, and I dug my own teeth into one of their underbellies, tearing into the flesh mercilessly. That wolf twisted away from my grip, and backed away, not wanting to fight anymore.

The other, watching his friend and seeing his condition, backed away too. "What? Don't want to fight anymore?" I spat spitefully. I wasn't done, but they seemed to be. I watched them run back to their caves, tail between their legs.

**~Time Skip~**

It must have been a month or two since I had been here, but things definitely weren't getting better. Itachi was still a bitch, and it seemed he was in here every damn second bothering me about getting out more. And once I was out, wolves bitched and I fought them until they retreated like pups. This fucking cycle was exhausting!

I was currently lying down in my cave corner, bored out of my mind. It had been awhile since I had seen Sasuke. When I first came here, he was immediately stuck to my side, looking for comfort which I was happy to give. But now, it seemed as if he was avoiding me.

Itachi, Sasuke, and I all slept in the same cave, but the cave was huge. There were tunnels, different rooms, and that's why I chose to stay close to the entrance. I'd get lost if I tried to go anywhere else. The sound of paws resounding in the cave made my head go up; they weren't heavy, so it couldn't belong to Itachi.

My tails wagged slightly as I spotted Sasuke for the first time in I don't know how long. "Hello Sasuke, have a good sleep?" I asked, but he ignored me, passing me without a glance. "What's wrong?" He turned to me, his lip quivering, "I hate you!" Ouch. Where had that come from? "Why? Did I do something you didn't like?" I inquired, curious to where this outburst had surfaced from. He nodded, "you're stealing Itachi from me! Ever since you moved into the cave, all Itachi wants to do is stay with you whenever he isn't busy!" Sasuke, the small wolf pup who lost both parents to the lions, much like Naruto did.

But how different he was! He desperately wanted attention from his older brother, and only him. I guess Naruto would have been like that too if he had siblings. "I'm sorry Sasuke, but I swear I have nothing to do with this. If I could go home I would." "Then why don't you!" He was shaking with anger, and I didn't know what to say. What had Itachi told him?

After seeing that I wasn't going to answer, he rushed out. Bah, what a mess. What a big, frustrating tangle of a mess. I settled back onto the ground, not in the mood to go outside. There were only wolves to talk to out there, and I didn't want to bother with them right now. I was only going to end up fighting anyways.

**Sigh, Kyuubi is suffering from loneliness... I bet that it is a boring life to live in that cave.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Itachi's POV:**

So Sasuke was angry with Kyuubi. Or so Kakashi told me. Though why was beyond me. Whatever it was, Kyuubi ended up taking it out on my pack. If it wasn't so amusing, I'd stop him. "If you allow him to continue like this, the pack will definitely turn on him." Kakashi advised, but I waved him away. "Kyuubi can hold his own against them." He nodded in agreement as we watched the fiery tempered fox take down two wolves at once.

The fox hadn't smiled since Sasuke declared that he was angry with him. It was slightly disturbing, since that was all the fox seemed to do whenever Sasuke was near. Now it was a pained grimace, and his frustration was evident on my limping wolves that dared to mess with him. His eyes were constantly glowing yellow in irritation, and he wouldn't stay in the cave anymore.

Of course I had wanted him to get out more, but I didn't want him out day _and _night just staring blankly at the trees. The weather had been getting nasty, and it had rained yesterday night, but even then he stayed outside, not even noticing that his fur was getting soaked. He hadn't been eating either.

His funk was worse than Sasuke's had been when he found out Fugaku and Mikoto were dead. Maybe I should have let him visit his family and friends for a little while. It had been a long time since he had seen them. But... Something about him going back home for a little while made me hesitant. I didn't want him to go.

He would obviously come back, I knew that much. That wasn't what I was worried about. I wasn't worried at all in fact, no. It was something much bigger. It was more like I hated the fact that he would be out of my sight for a couple of hours. He would be fine. He would get over his sadness in time, just like Sasuke did.

**~Time Skip~**

I was correct when I figured he'd get over his sadness in time. But I hadn't realized that it meant he would be bonding with the wolves that he had once been fighting with. His irritation had died down after a while, and when it did, the wolves began to see his calm side and they liked it.

They were all amused by the fox's friendly nature once he wasn't tearing their throats out. I should have been satisfied that things were becoming better, but I wasn't. I didn't want Kyuubi getting so close to those wolves. He was _my fucking mate._ I couldn't shake off the fact that he was with other wolves, talking to other wolves, _touching other wolves. _

"You seem tense." "Fuck off Kakashi." I growled, still watching with hatred in my eyes as Kyuubi talked to Kisame, a light blue wolf that I had once been friends with. "You know, jealousy isn't very good." I gave him a sideways glance, "don't you have a dolphin to pursue." He sighed, "normally yes, but he's currently teaching a little blond fox life basics."

I wasn't listening to his words anymore. Fury rose up in me as I watched Kyuubi play with the wolves; he was dangerously getting too close to a certain wolf. How dare he fucking touch others! I would have to teach him a lesson, but would it stick? He was so damn defiant that it would take more than a beating to get it through his damn head. No, it would have to be something much worse, something that would remind him of who he belonged to. "Kakashi, keep Sasuke with you in your cave tonight. I have to punish a certain fox."

**Kyuubi's POV:**

I stretched on the ground, trying to ease my tired limbs. I wanted to go back to my own territory with my family and friends. I wanted to see Tsunade, see how she was holding up as new alpha of the foxes. But I especially wanted to check on Naruto. He must have been angry with me too. I had promised to never leave him, and now here I was, being held captive by a bastard of a wolf who didn't even let me say goodbye to anyone.

It had taken sometime, but I managed to make friends with some of the wolves here. But Sasuke had drifted from me. He would have nothing to do with me, and never spoke to me since that day he had insisted that I was taking Itachi from him. Pft, he could have Itachi back. I sure as hell didn't want him.

"Speak of the devil," I grumbled as Itachi stormed into the cave. "You have a lot of nerve, you know that?" He did not sound happy, but when did he ever? "What are you talking about?" I ask boredly, not interested in his rant. "You know what I'm talking about." "I honestly don't." I sigh. I swear he could be quite childish sometimes.

He was sitting in front of me, glaring down at me, contempt in his eyes. "Why are you here?" He growled menacingly. "That's easy. I'm here because you're being a PMsing bastard." I shrank back slightly when a snarl ripped from his throat, "quit fucking around! Why are you here?" I frowned at his behavior. Something wasn't right. "I'm here to be your mate, is that what you want to hear?"

He leaned closer to me, "I see you do know. Then don't you think you have a certain obligation as my mate?" What was he talking about? "And what obligation would that be?" He was standing over me now, "don't play coy Kyuubi. What obligation do mates have towards each other?" My mind processed what he was saying, and my eyes widened a fraction. He couldn't mean...? His jaws latched onto the scruff on my neck, and fear rose in my stomach.

"Get off Itachi," I growled warningly, my voice somehow calm despite the anxiety swelling up in me. He didn't answer, and instead ignored me, his paws wrapping around my waist. I tried to toss him off, but he was heavy! I stiffened when I felt his arousal against my back, and all hell broke loose. "Get the fuck off me!" I twisted my body wildly, and managing to get onto my back. I kicked at him hard with my hind legs, getting him in the stomach. He hissed in pain, and his grip on me loosened. I took that chance to bite him, making him release me completely.

I backed into my corner, facing him so he couldn't jump me. "What the hell is your problem?" I hissed, wrapping my tails around me. His eyes were turning red again, and I could tell he was really pissed. "You belong to me; I believe I have the right to do whatever I please with you."

"I don't like you, and you don't like me. So that is out of the question bastard!" I growl, wrapping my tails tighter around me. "This isn't a matter of like or not, it is a matter of me being able to do whatever the hell I want." If his face wasn't so serious, I would think he was joking.

"That isn't a good reason, so get the hell away from me." I flattened my ears against my head when he stepped closer, "you don't get a say in this unfortunately." "It's my fucking body, so I think I do." He was right, this wasn't a matter of like, this was a fucking matter of him dominating me. "Quit being difficult. If you keep resisting, then I'll have to hurt one of your fox friends." This made me freeze; did he really just say that?

He leaned in close to my ear, "you'll let me. Won't you?" I feel his smirk radiating off of him. "You're a cold manipulative bastard." I growl lowly, unhappy that he had threatened me like that. "You and I both know that I'm capable of doing it, so why test me?" My whole body tensed as he spoke the truth, he definitely was capable of being that cruel. Still...

"If you hurt anybody, I swear you'll regret it! You're not going to fucking use me like that!" He frowned, but I could tell that he was seething inside. "You're going to defy me again?" His voice had become quiet, but the anger was there, waiting to come out. "If your request is that, then yes."

I flinched as he bit my neck again, growling fiercely. "What's it going to take to make you listen to me?" "Not violence." I mumbled, and his grip tightened. I allowed him to take his anger out on me, only flinching slightly as he continually bit into me. I felt blood trickle down from the bites, but still I kept still. Better this than the other thing. He suddenly stopped, and I felt relief when he stepped away from me.

"We're leaving." I looked up in surprise. "We're what?" He turned towards the opening of the cave. "Leaving. Now get up and let's go." He sounded pissed, but I didn't understand what he was saying. I just wanted to lick my wounds in peace, fucking heartless bastard. When I still hadn't moved, he stalked towards me and pulled me by the scruff of my neck. "Ow! Let go!" I growled, trying to get loose.

He dragged me out of the cave and out of the wolf territory. I was thankful that the other wolves weren't awake to see this. Once we reached to lake, he threw next to it and backed away. "You have an hour to clean yourself up and say goodbye to all your little_ friends. _Forever. Then go back to the cave so we can leave, and you better not make me wait." He was generally pissed off, what had made him so angry?

**Itachi's POV:**

"And you're sure of this, right? You don't think you will change your mind?" I stared hard at Kakashi, "I'm sure. You're alpha of the pack until Sasuke is able to." He had worry in his eyes, "but you'll come back, right?" Shaking my head, I looked out towards the fox territory. What was taking Kyuubi so damn long? "I won't be coming back. Ever." Finally I spotted red fur emerging from the forest, "this is goodbye Kakashi." I say walking towards Kyuubi.

"You're not going to tell Sasuke bye?" I shake my head, "he'll want to come along. This isn't a trip for pups." I leave him and go with the fox, "let's go." He doesn't say anything, and instead follows me silently. This was the only thing I could come up with to ensure that he wouldn't be touchy feely with other animals. He was mine, and I would not have him dirtied by the paws of others.

We traveled in silence, and it was beginning to grind on my nerves. "You're quiet for once." I say. "Isn't that how you like it?" I hear him grumble, lowly. "Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the silence for once. It's just unbecoming of you." "Fuck off; I'm not in the mood for your games." He growled, not even looking at me. Something was definitely bothering him, but I wouldn't pry. Not because I respected his personal space, but because I didn't care.

Continuing our walk, I looked for a suitable place to rest for now since it was getting dark. Finally spotting a good clear area, I stopped and Kyuubi did the same. "We'll stop here tonight and travel more tomorrow when there's more sunlight." I tell him lying next to a tree. "And where exactly are we traveling to?" He asks, lying down as far away as possible as he can while still being within my sight.

"Nowhere in particular. We're just traveling." He looked as if he wanted to say more, but thought better of it and lay down. I watched as he fell asleep, his body relaxing somewhat. Tomorrow would be a day of aimlessly wandering with no set destination. As would be the rest of our lives.

**~Time Skip~**

Morning light shining in my eyes woke me up, and I growled irritated. If we had been in a cave this wouldn't have been a problem. I got off the ground and stretched, shaking off the dirt from my fur. I spotted Kyuubi still asleep and curled up in a ball, his tails wrapped around his lithe form to keep him warm.

I supposed I could let him sleep for a while longer. For now, I would go hunt for something to eat. Hopefully he'd know enough to not take off, but instead wait here for me. Setting off into dense forest trees, the sounds of animals was everywhere. I had never traveled this deep into the forest before, and it was completely different from the areas around the fox and wolf territories.

I heard the sound of a bird close by, and when I peered out behind a tree, I could see that this bird was larger than what I was used to. I had never seen a bird this big; it had a pink head with brown feathers. The noises that it made were weird too. Oh well, food was food, I wasn't going to complain.

I crouched low, crawling closer to it quietly. It still hadn't noticed me, but instead was preoccupied with pecking at the ground. Once I was close enough, I pounced onto it, breaking its fragile neck as it gave out a surprised squawk. It kicked despite its broken neck for a bit, before stilling.

Dragging my new prize back to my fox, I could hear the sound of water nearby. I would have to remember to look for it later once we were going to move once again. Reaching my destination, I saw Kyuubi had woken up and was sitting as patiently as he could, his tails twitching irritated.

**Kyuubi's POV:**

Damn bastard. Leaving me here while he went God knows where. I glare at him, my tails stopping their twitching and falling heavily to the ground. "You could have told me you were leaving." He places down the thing in his mouth, and I cock my head at it. What the hell was it?

I looked to him for some indication to what is was, but he didn't give any response. Well whatever. I settled back onto the ground, turning my back to him. "What are you doing? Eat." I heard him say. "Not hungry." I grumble. And I was being honest. I didn't' have much of an appetite since yesterday.

How long had I been gone that he had forgotten about me? I should have been happy that Naruto had moved on, but I felt more sad if anything. I guess I was more depressed now that he didn't need me anymore. I wanted to always be there for him, but no matter what I had done, I couldn't break him out of his funk.

Then the moment I return after being gone, he was happily playing with other animals. When he saw me, he hid behind Tsunade, afraid of me. I couldn't have been gone that long, could I? "Hurry up and eat. As soon as you're done we will continue." I got up off the floor, "then let's go. I'm not eating." He glares at me, but instead of saying anything else, he picks up the weird bird and walks away.

I follow him obviously, not having a choice. Where did Itachi think he was going? He said there was no set destination, so what the hell were we doing? He had said to say good bye forever to everyone, so did that mean we weren't going to return? Somehow that made me anxious.

Leaving the place where I had lived my whole life, leaving the people that I had grown to love and all because this selfish wolf demanded it. Well this was nobody's fault but my own. I should have maintained the border better. Maybe then the fox wouldn't have crossed it, causing me to be in this situation.

Itachi led us to a small stream, and at once he put the bird onto the ground in front of me. "We're not going any farther until you eat and drink. We have a long journey ahead of us, and I don't want you slowing us down." I glare at him. "I won't slow us down. Let's just go." He settled on the ground, "no. Now hurry up. Every second you waste here is a second of wasted daylight." This wolf could be really childish.

**~Time Skip~**

Day after day of long traveling, days of finding nothing. Traveling with no place in mind was a bad idea. I didn't know where the hell we were, and I doubted that Itachi did. He rarely spoke the whole time, and when he did, it was to reprimand me for something I did wrong. Really now. He was beginning to get on my nerves.

We had found spot after spot to settle for the night, and it was almost always a large opened space. This definitely wasn't the safest place to sleep. What if the lions had moved to these areas? They definitely would not hesitate to tear us apart, especially that lion leader that I had released.

I watched as Itachi sniffed the air, and his eyes seemed to light up. "Want to see something interesting?" I looked at him curiously, "and what would that be?" "Just come on." I watched as he walked out of the clearing, getting up to catch up with him moments later. The smell of smoke was in the air as we walked closer and closer to where Itachi was taking us. Was there a fire somewhere?

The last time I had seen a fire was when that big storm hit the forest and lightening had caused a tree to fall and burn. I hope that everyone was alright if there was a fire close by. Itachi stopped, "look." Looking through the brush I saw three creatures, two sitting, one walking around.

"Those are humans." I looked at them closer, and they were strange creatures. They walked on two legs, like a bird would, but they didn't have wings. "They're strange." I mumbled. "And do you smell that?" I sniffed the air, "smoke from the fire?" They humans were surrounding a small fire, and smoke came up from it.

Shaking his head, he spoke, "not that smell. I'm talking about the food." I saw that there was food next to one of the sitting humans. "Yea what about it?" "We're going to steal it." "What?" He didn't answer me, and continued his lecture, "humans are extremely dangerous. See those long silver things in their hands?" I sighed and saw what he was talking about, "yea. What are they?"

"Those are called guns. They shoot out 'bullets,' which can kill you in one hit. When humans have those, they are called hunters. So be wary of them." "If they're so dangerous, then why are we trying to steal their food?" He chuckled, "because it'll be fun. What? Are you scared?" He growled, "of course not. I just think it's a really stupid idea."

"Fine. Just sit there and I'll have all the fun." He creeped slowly to the three humans sitting around the bright light coming out of the logs, and I felt a nagging feeling in my head. Once Itachi was close enough, he carefully grabbed a piece of meat, none of the humans noticing him. He came back, a victorious smirk on his face. "See. Was that so hard?"

"You're an idiot, what if they caught you! They'll be really angry when they find out that some of their food is missing." He chuckled, "don't be such a sourpuss, you big chicken." My fur rose immediately, "I'm not a chicken!" "Then why don't you try next?" "Maybe I will." I turned away from him, annoyed, but scared about what I had just agreed to.

The humans were scary, but taking a deep breath, I crawled out of the brush and towards them. I wanted to retreat each time they made noise, and when they moved, I flinched thinking they had spotted me. I made it to the raw meat, and as carefully as I could, I bit into a piece, pulling it off the log and then I tried to turn back, but the human turned around, spotting me.

My heart beated fast when the human started yelling in a weird language, and I almost died on the spot when he pulled out what Itachi had called a gun and aimed it at me. I was frozen to the spot, unsure of what to do. "Run, dumbass," I heard Itachi hiss from the brush, and I immediately complied.

A loud noise filled my ears, mimicking the sound of thunder, and something hit shoulder. I stumbled from the pain, but I tried to ignore the pain as best as I could and concentrated on getting the hell out of there. More shots rang out, hitting the trees around me. A few had gotten close to me, but luckily I wasn't hit again.

Finally figuring I had run far enough, I stopped to catch my breath. "I give you a C on stealth, but an A on escaping." I heard Itachi say as he appeared next to me. I dropped the meat that I hadn't known I still had from my mouth. "You're an asshole, you know that?" He chuckled, but didn't say more.

I licked at my wound, trying to stop the bleeding. It definitely hurt, but I was still lucky that it was just my shoulder that got hit. "Really now, you are the most pathetic thing I've ever seen." I ignored him, still cleaning my wound.

**Poor Kyuubi! That must have been a bitch, getting caught and shot. DX**


	5. Chapter 5

**Last chapter! Enjoy guys!**

**Itachi's POV:**

I felt a bit guilty that the fox had gotten hurt. I didn't think that the humans would be able to see us, but unfortunately they had. "Here, let me do it." I said, pushing Kyuubi's head away from the wound and began cleaning it myself. His body went rigid, but I ignored it. I could do one nice thing for him, couldn't I?

After a couple of moments, I stood up from the ground. "Come on; let's go back to the clearing." He nodded, not even bothering to pick up the piece of meat he stole. "You're not going to take your spoils of war?" I teased. He glared at me and continued walking. Oh well.

When we reached the clearing, Kyuubi went to his tree and lay down, not even bothering to look at me. He was probably sulking. I watched as he lay there restlessly. His shoulder must have been killing him. Those bullets were painful, I knew because I had once gotten shot with one when I first discovered humans as well.

"Are you ok?" I asked, still feeling guilty. "Like you care." Yup. He was definitely sulking. "I was just asking. No need to get defensive." I lay down, not caring anymore how he was feeling. He could suffer all night if he wanted.

**~Time Skip~**

Once again, the daylight forced me up and put me in a bad mood. But my mood got only worse when I realized Kyuubi was gone. Where the hell did that damn fox go without my permission? I jumped up, sniffing the air for his scent angrily. I caught it and followed it as it led to a part of the forest that we hadn't yet gone through.

The thought that he had attempted to escape filled my head, and if that was the case, I was going to kill him! A growl was already making its way out of my throat. The scent got closer and stronger as I got farther and farther into the trees. I immediately spotted a red being, and I knew that it had to be the fox.

"Where the hell did you go?" I snarled. The fox didn't respond, but instead was drinking from a small puddle of muddy water. "Answer me!" He gave me a sideway glance, "nowhere. Everywhere. Does it really matter?" I almost attacked him when I noticed that he was keeping pressure off of his left paw. "What's wrong with your arm?" I asked quietly. "Nothing. Come on, don't we have more traveling to do?"

He placed his left paw onto the ground, and he looked fine. "Alright, come on." I said, watching as he walked towards me. Something didn't look right. I observed him closely, and saw what was the problem. His shoulder where he was injured was bleeding, the red blood blending in with his red fur. "Let me see." He backed away, "its fine. Let's just keep moving. Like you said before, we'll be wasting daylight."

I moved closer to him, "just real fast." He sighed, sitting on the ground. I looked at the wound, seeing that it was still trickling a little blood. The bullet was most likely still in there. Prodding it with my nose, Kyuubi let out a hiss of pain. "Don't do that!" It came out high, and I could tell just by that how bad it was.

"Lay down," I instructed him. He looked at me hard, "no." "Just do it. We have to get that bullet out or it is going to become infected." He didn't respond, and instead continued to glare at me. "Look, this is more for you than it is for me. So unless you want to be walking around with the risk of losing that leg, I suggest you listen to me."

He stared hesitantly at me, before finally laying down, his body greatly rigid. "This is going to hurt, but don't move." I tell him before digging my teeth into his wound. A small yelp caught in his throat, and when he tried to get up, I put my weight on him. "I said don't move," I say before digging back at the wound.

He tried his best to listen, but small whimpers rumbled from his throat as he tried to buck me off. Despite his movement, I finally was able to pull out the bullet. "There you damn baby, it's out." He glared at me, tears in his eyes. "Shut up, you wouldn't be still with someone digging into one of your wounds."

I ignore him, "come on let's go." He grumbled under his breath as he limped slightly along with. How long had we been out here? A month? Two? I couldn't be sure. But it must have been awhile. I gave my mate a glance, and he was looking to the ground, limping. I felt something welling up in me, but pushing it back down, I continued walking.

We passed the area where the humans had been, finding it empty, and passing it we walked on. This life of traveling. What the hell was I thinking? It had been a bad idea. That's the feeling that I got when thinking about it. It was too late to go back now. The only good thing about this life was that I got Kyuubi to myself now, but I had caused him to be injured. What good was that?

**Kyuubi's POV:**

All this walking was killing my shoulder. I wanted to rest, but I refused to speak up. I didn't want him to reprimand me again. So I endured silently. The sky was darkening, but it was too early for it to be night. I looked up at the sky, seeing storm clouds beginning to form. Great. It was going to rain.

Itachi spotted them too, and he quickened his pace. Painfully, I did the same, doing my best to keep up with him. Within minutes, the rain poured down on us, and it soaked our fur quickly. I shivered in the cold, as we stopped in an area surrounded by trees that shielded the most part of the rain. "Guess we're stuck here until the rain stops." Itachi said, shaking the water from his fur before settling onto the ground.

I tried to do the same, but stopped when the pain shot up through my shoulder at the action. Sighing, I just laid on the ground. We listened to the rain in silence, and I felt my eyes closing from weariness. I had just about fallen asleep when something brushed against me. I jumped up, but settled down when I saw it was just Itachi. "Don't scare me like that," I sighed, lying back down.

He didn't respond, but instead pressed his warm body to my cold one in silence. Was this his way of being comforting? I was falling asleep again when I heard him mumble something. "What?" I looked at him, and he looked away. "I'm sorry about getting you hurt." I was surprised that he had apologized, so surprised that I was speechless for a brief moment. "It's alright. You didn't know that it would happen. Anyways, it's my fault for not moving out of the way faster."

We stayed silent once more. The rain was falling harder, and thunder was resounding around us. I flinched slightly, remembered that the human's gun had made a similar noise. What were humans? Why hadn't I ever seen one before now? They were like that weird bird that Itachi had brought to us that one day. New and unfamiliar. I knew that it would be best to keep our distance from them at all costs.

**~Time Skip~**

As of late, Itachi had been becoming calmer and easier to be around. He wasn't as cruel as he had been in the beginning, though he was still a bit of a bastard at times. I found myself liking this new Itachi, but I wouldn't let him know that.

My shoulder was sore, but I had to admit, now that the bullet was out, it did feel a bit better. I suppose I should thank Itachi for it later. Right now, Itachi was currently in the small river we came across earlier in the day trying to catch fish. He was failing big time, but it was fun watch him get frustrated as yet another fish slipped through his paws.

"Come on, forget about it Itachi." I laughed lightly, "you're never going to be able to catch them." He glared at me before returning to his useless task. He could be quite stubborn, but I already knew that. By the time he had given up, he was soaked. "Told you so." I tell him as he shakes the water from his fur, his ears pressed back.

"Shut up, like you could do better." I stuck my tongue at him. "If foxes were meant to get wet, we would have fins and gills." He rolled his eyes, "excuses. That's all you ever have to tell me. Let's keep moving." I nod, getting up and trying not to wince from the pain. I didn't want to show him that I was weak and couldn't handle a little wound.

He noticed anyways, "you alright?" I frown, "just fine. Come on." If he thought that this would stop me, he was wrong. I would continue on with him, despite the pain. I would show him that foxes were every bit just as good as wolves.

**Itachi's POV:**

He's limp didn't get better. In fact, it may have gotten worse. I felt bad that I was the cause of it, but I had already apologized. What else could I have done? He didn't let it slow him down though. He kept up at his own pace, not letting me baby him when it came to traveling. He insisted that we keep up the same pace that we had been going at, so that's what we did.

The sun was high up in the sky, and it seemed as if it was going to be a good day. We had already traveled quite far, and I figured we were due for a break. "Hey Kyuubi, are you ready to-" "Shh." He said lowly, his fur rising. "What's wrong?" I lowered my voice, slightly worried.

"Human." Was all he said. I looked to where he was glaring, and I saw his words were true. But this wasn't just a human, it was a hunter. Meaning he had a gun. "Come on, let's get out of here." I mumbled, turning away. I heard him agree and we began walking back into the woods, when a loud noise pierced both our ears. A piece of tree had been shot off right near my head, and we both swerved around to see that the hunter was aiming his gun straight at us.

"Run," I heard the fox whisper, but my feet wouldn't move. He must have been feeling the same because his body had gone rigid. The hunter was stalking closer, aiming his gun at me now. "Itachi, go," he was urging me now, but I couldn't. I saw the hunter's finger press the trigger, and closing my eyes, I waited for the shot to hit.

When nothing hit me after the shot rang out, I opened my eyes to see Kyuubi in front of me. Did the bullet hit him? And if it did, where? "I said run damn it!" He growled, not looking back at me as he dashed towards the hunter quickly despite his limp. The hunter was as shocked as I was when the fox bit into his hand holding the gun. What the hell was the fox thinking? The man was cursing under his breath as threw Kyuubi off his arm and aimed his gun at him.

I watched helplessly as another shot rang out, but I couldn't see where it hit the fox as he fell to the ground. Rage filled my head, more at myself than at the human. How could I just stand here while the fox was risking his life? I pounced onto the hunter as he tried to take aim back at me. A bullet hit my left flank, but ignoring the pain, I latched onto the hand that Kyuubi already injured.

This time the hunter dropped the gun, but that wasn't his only weapon. Something stabbed me in my side, and pain almost made me release my grip on his hand. Blood was running from my flank and the multiple wounds he was causing with the weapon in his hand, but I wasn't going to give up. I pulled him onto the ground, and once he hit the floor, I latched my teeth into his throat. I was determined to kill this human, and he knew it. He was trying to push me off him as I tore into his throat, and the object stabbing me was still in his hand.

What seemed like hours, he stopped his struggling, and once he went limp, I let go of his bloodied neck. I watched the life pour out of his eyes for a moment before going to my mate's side. He was still breathing, but barely, and his eyes weren't open. My blood loss was making me tired, but I had to get us both back into the safety of the woods. I grabbed the scruff of his neck, dragging him as carefully as I could through the trees. Once I found a spot that was secluded enough, I stopped letting him down next to a tree.

I took this moment to observe his wounds. There were two bullet holes in his body, one on his chest, the other in his head. Both were bleeding profusely, and my own wounds were no better. I gently ran my tongue on his head wound, and it seemed to rouse him slightly. His eyes studied my carefully, stopping on my wounds. "I told you to run dumbass." He said finally, but his voice was faint.

"I know." Was all I said, continuing to clean him. A small laugh came from his throat, "you know. When I first met you, I thought you were a total asshole. No scratch that, you still are an asshole." He paused, seeming to have trouble breathing. I waited until he finished a coughing fit that came up on him, and the smell of fresh blood hit my nose.

Once he seemed to catch his breath, he continued, "but I guess you're not as big of a bastard as I thought. I think I might have fallen for you, stupid right?" He laughed again, but stopped when another coughing fit hit him. I stayed silent, not sure of what I could say.

When he stopped coughing, he turned his head to me. Fear was evident in his eyes, and it made something inside of me churn. "I don't think I'm ready to die yet, Itachi." He said quietly, and it shocked me. It was obvious that he and I were dying, but hearing the words made it more real.

Curling my body around his, I licked his ears in what was the most comfort I could give him. "I know it is too late to say this, but I'm sorry." I said not sure if he'd be angry with me bringing up the past. He's quiet for a moment, "...it's alright. I forgive you." His breathing had become shallow, and his eyes were only a fraction open. I was losing conscious as well, but I didn't want to be the first to shut my eyes "For what it's worth, I love you, even though you were a bastard." Is the last thing he says, before his body relaxes.

His breathing stops, but I can't shed a tear for him. My own body is numb as I pull him closer to me, "I loved you too Kyuubi. Sorry it took for something like this to happen before I could say it." I tell his lifeless body. Regret and guilt fill me, despite the fact that the fox had said he forgave me.

He may have been able to look past all the abuse, but i couldn't. I had led him to his death since the first day I had decided to make him my mate, since the day I forced him away from everything and one because of my jealousy. If I couldn't forgive myself, then how could anyone?

I laid my head down onto of Kyuubi's, my head swimming in and out of consciousness. Sleep. That's what I wanted right now. Maybe I'll close my eyes for a bit, and when I open them, everything will be alright again...

**Well it took death to bring the two finally together, but yea... That's life. I hope you all enjoyed this prequel of Narumals. As you can see, this was more serious than Narumals, and sadder in my opinion. **

**I could not stop crying when I wrote that last scene! The whole time I wrote it, I was listening to Heaven's not enough by Steve Conte. And that is a SAD song! Haha, I'm a big baby! **

**Please review! Well that's it for now, Ja Ne!**


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